Gachagua Mocks Ruto’s Plan to Import Buffaloes to Solve Milk Shortage

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ridiculed President William Ruto’s plan to import water buffaloes from India to tackle the country’s ongoing milk shortage.

Speaking during a public engagement in Northern Kakamega, Gachagua argued that the proposal directly contradicts earlier government assertions that local milk production had increased under the current administration.

The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader maintained that the national government should invest in expanding the domestic herd of dairy cows rather than introducing wild or non-traditional livestock into Kenya’s agricultural sector.

*“I heard Ruto yesterday saying that there is no milk and that he will consult with his government on how to bring buffaloes from India so that people can milk them. Is he taking us for fools?” *Gachagua posed.

“Instead of increasing the number of cows, you want to bring buffaloes? Can buffaloes really produce milk? Won’t they injure the people trying to milk them?” he added.

President Ruto Eyes Diversification to Curb Deficit

Gachagua’s criticism follows remarks made by President Ruto during the Agriculture and Food Security Summit at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi, where he outlined strategies to address climate-induced agricultural shortfalls.

Attributing the drop in national supply to prolonged drought conditions, President Ruto highlighted that species such as camels and water buffaloes offer higher milk yields compared to standard domestic cattle breeds. He cited India’s extensive dairy industry as a successful proof-of-concept for buffalo milk production.

President Ruto directed Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to investigate sourcing high-yielding breeds of both camels and water buffaloes to evaluate their long-term viability in Kenya.

“We currently have a milk shortage in the country because of the drought and other issues. I told PS Jonathan Mueke to help us source a better camel breed and to bring a good buffalo breed because I hear buffaloes produce a lot of milk. In India, they consume buffalo milk, and we wanted to begin with small samples so that we can see whether it is viable because if other people are milking buffaloes, why can’t we?” Ruto posed.

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe declared the domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) a food animal under the Meat Control Act (Cap. 356) in Gazette Notice No. 977, published on January 31, 2025.

“In Exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 of the Meat Control Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development declares the Domesticated Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) as a food animal for purposes of the Act,” the notice reads.

Farmers in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh raise domesticated water buffaloes for milk and meat. The species differs from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), which generally lives in the wild. Kenya, however, currently has no domesticated water buffaloes, despite the government’s 2025 declaration.

The two main types are river and swamp buffalo. Farmers mainly raise river buffaloes for milk, while swamp buffaloes commonly help with farm work and provide meat in parts of Southeast Asia and China.

Water buffalo milk contains about 7 to 8 per cent butterfat, compared with roughly 3 to 4 per cent in cow’s milk, making it well suited to cheese, yogurt, and ghee production. The animals also provide lean meat as a source of protein.

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